Adjustable back rest



Nov. 5, 1957 T. KRECIGLOWA 2,812,013

ADJUSTABLE BACK REST Filed Nov. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORATTORNEYS WJEW 'w Nnv. 5, i957 T. KRECIGLOWA 2,812,013

ADJUSTABLE BACK REST Filed Nov. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORTadeas; .Krecyiowa OIQQWMM ATTORNEYS United States Patent O ADJUSTABLEBACK REST Tadeusz Kreciglowa, New Bedford, Mass., assignor to UniversalConverting Corporation, a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationNovember 1, 1955, Serial No. 544,104

12 Claims. (Cl. 155-162) This invention relates to the art of recliningchairs and more particularly to the adjustable back rest thereof.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a chair and moreparticularly a chaise lounge of the type having an adjustable back restand an associated arm rest, which may be made substantially entirely oflight weight materials such as tubular metal stock and sheet metal stockand may readily be fabricated at low cost and which affords readysetting of the back rest to a desired angle of inclination with arelatively simple manipulation by the occupant involving only a slightup and down motion of the arm rests, without need for the occupant ofthe chair to rise therefrom or to pull or push on such arm rests andwhich will dependably remain in such set position without likelihood ofdislodgment therefrom and which, when adjusted to decrease the angle ofinclination of the back rest, will move forward only a predeterminedamount at each adjustment to avoid the possibility of impact by the backrest against the back of the chair occupant.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by thearrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described andparticularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chaise lounge according to theinvention with parts broken away,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view on a greatly enlargedscale showing the locking mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1 showing one position ofthe locking mechanism,

Figs. 4 to 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing the locking mechanismin various positions, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the lockingplate.

Referring now to the drawings, the adjustable back rest 11 isillustratively shown incorporated in a chaise lounge which comprises aseat portion 12 having a substantially U-shaped frame, desirably formedfrom tubular metal stock, with a pair of elongated parallel legs 13joined by a cross piece 14 at their front ends and which has resilientlymounted strips 15 extending between the legs 13 to carry. a mattress(not shown).

A supporting member which also is substantially U- shaped, has itparallel legs 16 positioned respectively eneath the legs 13 of the frameand affixed thereto as by bolts 17. The rear ends of the legs 16 arecurved downwardly as at 18 and an axle 19 extending transversely throughsuitable openings in the extremities of said curved ends 18 mountsrollers 21. The front ends of the legs 16 are also curved downwardly asat 22 and are connected by a cross piece 23, the supporting member thusretaining the frame in substantially horizontal position on the floor.

The back rest 11 also desirably comprises a substantially U-shapedframe, the parallel legs 24 of which are joined at their upper ends by across piece 25 and resiliently mounted strips 15 also extend between thelegs 24 of the back rest 11 to support the rear portion of the mattress.

The spacing between the upper portions of the legs 24 of the back rest11 is substantially the same as the spacing between the legs 13 of theframe and the lower portions of the legs 24 are bent inwardly as at 26so that such lower portions may be straddled by the legs 13 of theframe.

The inwardly bent portions 26 of the legs 24 of the back rest 11 arepivotally mounted to the legs 13 of the frame near the rear ends 27 ofthe latter as by bolts 28 and are bent downwardly as at 29 so as toextend at substantially right angles to said legs 24.

The back rest is normally urged upwardly by means of a pair of coilsprings 32 aflixed respectively at one end as at 33 to the extremitiesof the downwardly bent portions 29 and at their other ends to bolts 34which extend through the legs 13 of the frame near the ends 27 thereof.

Pivotally mounted to the back rest 11 is an arm rest 35 which desirablycomprises a substantially U-shaped frame having parallel legs 36 whichstraddle thelegs 24 of the back rest and which are joined at their rearends by a cross piece 37. The legs 36 are pivoted to the legs 24 as bymeans of bolts 38 and the portions 39 of the legs 36 extending forwardlyof the pivots 38 are desirably bent so as to extend substantiallyparallel to the legs 13 of the frame to serve as a convenient supportfor the arms of the chair occupant.

Means are provided releasably to lock the back rest 11 in any desiredposition of adjustment. To this end a pair of elongated locking plates42 is provided, desirably stamped from sheet metal stock, each of whichhas a flange 43 at its upper edge extending at right angles to the plate42 and afiixed as by riveting as at 44 to the respective legs 36 of thearm rest 35 to the rear of the pivots 38.

The plates 42 which depend from the legs 36 straddle the frame andextend over the bolts 34 which protrude through a slot 45 in the plateto define a stop. As is clearly shown in Fig. 7 the slot 45 issubstantially in the form of a Zig-zag to define a locking conformationand extends substantially the length of plate 42. The lower edge of theslot 45 has a plurality of substantially triangular projections,illustratively three in number designated a, b and c, rising therefromand defining V-shaped recesses a, b and c. Each of the projections a, band c has a notch 47 near its base extending inwardly from the rearsurface 48 thereof substantially parallel to said base and the frontsurface 49 of each projection is in communication with the immediatelysucceeding notch 47.

The upper edge of slot 45 has a plurality of substantially triangularprojections a", b" and c which depend therefrom and extend into therespective V-shaped recesses a, b and c below the apices 51 of thetriangular projections a, b and 0.

Thus, as is clearly shown in Fig, 7, a plurality of communicatingpassageways are defined by the slot and the ends of each passageway Pdefined by the portions of the slot 45 between the rear surface 48 ofprojections b, c and the front surface 56 of projections a, b", forexample, are opposed to the front surface 49 and rear surface 57 ofprojections a, b" and b, c".

The forward end of the slot 45 is substantially arcuate as at 52 beingconcave on its lower edge and the open end of such arcuate conformation52 is opposed to the front surface 49 of projection c. The upper edge ofthe slot 45 at its rear end extends substantially parallel to the rearsurface 48 of projection a and then is curved downwardly as at 55 to therearmost notch 47.

It is of course to be understood that more or less projections could beprovided depending upon the number of adjustments required of the angleof inclination of the back rest.

In the operation of the unit above described with the chaise loungeunoccupied and with the outer end of each of the bolts 34 in the bottomof V-shaped recess b for example, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end ofthe front surface 49 of projection b will be retained against the bolt34 by the tendency of the arm rest 11 and the plate 42 aflixed theretoto move forward under the urging of the coil spring 32. Hence, the backrest 11 will be releasably locked in position. When the unit is occupiedand the user leans against the back rest 11, the latter will move backslightly until the end of the notch 37 between projections b and c abutsagainst the bolt 34 as shown in Fig. 4 to enhance the locking action.

If the occupant desires to move the back rest 11 to a greaterinclination, he need merely move forward slightly so that he does notpress against the back rest 11. As

a result the spring 32 will cause the back rest 11 to pivot forwardslightly until the front surface 49 of projection b abuts against thebolt 34 as shown in Fig. 3. Thereupon, the occupant of the unit needmerely raise the free ends 39 of the arm rest 35, which, as shown inFig. 5, will cause the plate 42 to move downwardly, and then lean backagainst the back rest 11 until the rear surface 57 of projection c"abuts against the bolt 34. This will restrain further rearward movementof the back rest 11 and the occupant then need merely press down on theends 39 of the rest until the bolt 34 is against the end of the foremostrecess 47 to lock the back rest 11 in set position. i

To raise the back rest 11 from the position shown in Fig. 4, the userneed merely lean forward slightly to bring the back rest to the positionshown in Fig. 3 and thereupon slightly raise the front ends 39 of thearm rest 11. When the apex 51 of the projection b passes the bolt 34,the action of the springs 32 will pivot the back rest 11 and arm rest 35forward until, as shown in Fig. 6, the front surface 49 of theprojection a abuts against the bolt 34 to stop further forward movementof the back rest 11 under the urging of springs 32. Thereupon, the userneed merely press down on the ends 39 of the arm rest 35 and leanagainst the back rest 11 which will cause the end of the recess 37between projections a and b to abut against the bolt to lock the backrest in position.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the back rest 11 will bedependably locked in any position of adjustment and may readily be movedto a greater inclination and as readily restored to a lesser inclinationwithout likelihood of the back rest moving more than one notch forwardwhich might cause the back rest to strike the user with considerableimpact.

As many changes could be made in the above con struction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all,matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An article of the character described comprising a seat portion, aback rest pivotally mounted to said seat portion, an arm rest pivotallymounted to said back rest, resilient means normally urging said backrest in a forward direction about its pivotal mount, complementarylocking means carried by said arm rest and said seat portion, saidlocking means comprising a locking plate having an elongatedsubstantially zig-zag slot therethrough defining a plurality ofupstanding spaced projections rising from the lower edge of said slotand a plurality of projections depending from, the upper edge of saidslot and extending slightly into said spaces, said projections defininga locking conformation and a stop member extending through said slot tocoact with said locking conformation.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said locking plate isaffixed to said arm rest and said stop member is affixed to said seatportion.

3. An article of the character described comprising a seat portion, aback rest pivotally mounted to said seat portion, an arm rest pivotallymounted to said back rest and extending forwardly and rearwardly of thelatter, resilient means normally urging said back rest in a forwarddirection about its pivotal mount, a locking plate affixed to theportion of the arm rest extending rearwardly of its pivotal mount, saidplate having an elongated slot therethrough defining a lockingconformation, a stop member afiixed to said seat portions and extendingthrough said slot, said lockingconformation comprising a plurality ofsubstantially triangular upstanding projections rising from the loweredge of said slot and defining V-shaped recesses and a plurality ofsubstantially triangular projections depending from the upper edge ofsaid slot and extending into said recesses.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the rear surface ofeach of the upstanding projections has a transverse notch near its base.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said slot is arcuatelyshaped near the front end of the locking plate, said arcuate portion ofsaid slot being concave on its lower surface and having its open endopposed to the front surface'of the foremost upstanding projection.

6. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the rear surface ofeach of the upstanding projections has a transverse notch near its baseand said slot is arcuately shaped near the front end of the lockingplate, said arcuate portion of said slot being concave on its lower edgeand having its open end opposed to the front surface of theforemostupstanding projection.

7. An article of the character described comprising a sunbstantiallyrectangular seat portion having a pair of spaced parallel legs definingthe sides thereof, a substantially U-shaped back rest having a pair ofparallel legs pivotally connected near their lower ends to the legs ofsaid seat portion, a substantially U-shaped arm rest having a pair ofparallel legs pivotally connected respectively to the legs of said backrest above the pivotal mount of the latter to said seat portion, aportion of each of the legs of said arm rest extending rearwardly of thepivotal mount thereof, resilient means normally urging said back rest ina forward direction about its pivotal mount, a locking plate afiixed tothe rearwardly extending portion of at least one of the legs of said armrest, and depending therefrom in a plane parallel to the length of saidleg, said plate having an, elongated slot therethrough defining alocking conformation, a stop member atfixed to said seat portion andextending through said slot, said locking conformation comprising aplurality of upstanding projections rising from the lower edge of saidslot defining recesses therebetween and a plurality of projectionsdepending from the upper edge of said slot and extending slightly intosaid recesses.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which each of saidprojections is substantially triangular having its base at the edge ofsaid slot.

9. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which each of saidprojections is substantially triangular having its base at the edge ofsaid slot and the rear surface of each of the upstanding projections hasa transverse notch near its base.

10. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which the lower end of eachof the legs of said back rest extends below the pivotal mount thereofand is downwardly bent and said resilient means comprises a coil spring5 afiixed at one end to the extremity of said downwardly bent end and atits other end to said seat portion.

11. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which the spacing betweenthe upper portion of the legs of said back rest is substantially thesame as the spacing between the legs of said seat portion, the lowerportions of said back rest legs are bent inwardly to be straddled by thelegs of said seat portion and the inwardly bent portions of said backrest legs are pivotally connected to said seat portion.

12. An article of the character described comprising a seat portion, aback rest pivotally mounted to said seat portion, an arm rest pivotallymounted to said back rest, resilient means normally urging said backrest in a forward direction about its pivotal mount, complementarylocking means carried by said arm rest and said seat portion, saidlocking means comprising a plate having an elongated slot conformed todefine a plurality of communicating passageways, the ends of each ofsaid passageways having an abutment opposed thereto and a stop memberextending through said slot adapted to coact with said abutments torestrain movement of said back rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

